It is hard to overstate the work UO alumna Polly Irungu is doing to increase diversity in the field of photography, and she’ll be discussing it in an online event later this month.

Irungu, a 2017 alumna of the School of Journalism and Communication, multimedia journalist and founder of Black Women Photographers, will be taking part in a panel discussion Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. on Twitter Spaces.

One of Irungu’s former journalism professors, Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism Damian Radcliffe, will host the event, which is open to all. A Twitter account that follows @uoregon is needed to take part in the event.

In 2020, Irungu founded Black Women Photographers, a wide-reaching, global effort to increase diversity in the photography field. The organization works with top photo editors and has partnered with key industry players to find grants to help early-stage photographers establish themselves. Irungu also has worked to build a database that connects companies with Black women photographers.

Irungu’s work has appeared in numerous publications and news outlets. She has spoken on dozens of news and photography panels and recently taught at Parsons and the International Center of Photography.